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Michelangelo: Biography of a Genius
Dalla Firenze di Lorenzo il Magnifico e del Savonarola allo splendore della Roma papale; la vita tormentata di un genio del Michelangelo. Una biografia di Michelangelo Buonarroti con una tavola cronologica degli eventi storici ed artistici e un indice topografico dei suoi lavori, natruralmente interamente in inglese. Titolo ''Incontro con Michelangiolo''.
192 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 31, 2022
Kitap yalnızca Michelangelo'nun hayatına ve baş yapıtlarının ortaya çıkış sürecine yoğunlaşmakla kalmıyor, bizi onun hayatı üzerinden tarihte bir çok kırılmanın meydana geldiği bir döneme de olağanüstü şekilde tanık ediyor. Öyle bir dönem ki, Michelangelo'nun hayatı üzerinden bir yandan Floransa'da yeşeren sanatsal iklimi, -ve tabii ki Da Vinci, Rafael, Botticelli gibi dehaları- öbür yandan dönemin Avrupa güç dengesinin büyük unsuru Mediciler'i ve Machiavelli gibi bir figürün beslendiği siyasal iklimi görebiliyoruz. Yine Michelangelo'nun Papayla birebir ilişkisi sayesinde Vatikan'ın ve kilisenin nüfuzuna ve tam da bu dönemde Avrupa'da patlak veren reform hareketine ve Luther'e bakış atabiliyor; böylece, sosyal, sanatsal, politik olduğu kadar dönemin dini atmosferi hakkında da bilgi ediniyoruz.
Büyük bir araştırmanın sonucu olduğu belli olan kitap, Rönesans'ın bu en büyük sanatçısının romansı hayatını ve bir insan ömrüne sığdığına inanılamayacak onlarca şaheserinin her birinin arkasındaki hikayeyi bu dehanın hak ettiği kelimelere dökerek aktarıyor.
Büyük bir araştırmanın sonucu olduğu belli olan kitap, Rönesans'ın bu en büyük sanatçısının romansı hayatını ve bir insan ömrüne sığdığına inanılamayacak onlarca şaheserinin her birinin arkasındaki hikayeyi bu dehanın hak ettiği kelimelere dökerek aktarıyor.
August 15, 2016
Sanatçıyı sevenler ve hayatının ana hatlarıyla ilgili bilgi almak isteyenler için tavsiye edilir. Sondaki eser listesi paha biçilmez!
May 24, 2018
This book was a good, in depth telling of Michaelangelo as a person and his work. There’s a lot more that he did than people commonly know about. He was kind of a dick but people excuse that with his genius. The author for the most part was unbiased throughout the book, one out of a few pages he would pause and praise michaelangelo’s work. Whether that was the original author or the translator I have no clue.
November 16, 2014
I love Michelangelo!
English: https://elifthereader.com/books/miche...
Türkçe: https://kitaplikkedisi.com/kitaplar/b...
English: https://elifthereader.com/books/miche...
Türkçe: https://kitaplikkedisi.com/kitaplar/b...
August 2, 2025
I picked up Nardini’s Michelangelo: Biography of a Genius expecting a clean structural overview, and I got it though not much more.
It’s a quick, readable account of Michelangelo’s life, from his apprenticeship under Ghirlandaio to the Sistine ceiling and beyond. The writing flows well, and it does succeed in painting a coherent timeline of events. That said, it’s more admiration than analysis.
Personally, I found myself wanting more complexity. Michelangelo was a volatile fusion of artistic brilliance, obsessive faith, and personal isolation but Nardini doesn’t quite get into the circuitry. The deeper psychological wiring the internal conflicts, the rage, the tension between sacred duty and ego remain largely untouched.
That was frustrating. I kept turning the page hoping for sharper insight, some uncomfortable truth, some raw edge. Instead, I got smooth marble. Beautiful, but inert.
Still, it’s a decent entry point. If you’ve never studied Michelangelo and want something you can finish in a weekend without needing an art history degree, this book works. Just don’t expect it to shake the pillars of your understanding.
I closed it reminded of why I admire Michelangelo but not why he was terrifyingly human.
It’s a quick, readable account of Michelangelo’s life, from his apprenticeship under Ghirlandaio to the Sistine ceiling and beyond. The writing flows well, and it does succeed in painting a coherent timeline of events. That said, it’s more admiration than analysis.
Personally, I found myself wanting more complexity. Michelangelo was a volatile fusion of artistic brilliance, obsessive faith, and personal isolation but Nardini doesn’t quite get into the circuitry. The deeper psychological wiring the internal conflicts, the rage, the tension between sacred duty and ego remain largely untouched.
That was frustrating. I kept turning the page hoping for sharper insight, some uncomfortable truth, some raw edge. Instead, I got smooth marble. Beautiful, but inert.
Still, it’s a decent entry point. If you’ve never studied Michelangelo and want something you can finish in a weekend without needing an art history degree, this book works. Just don’t expect it to shake the pillars of your understanding.
I closed it reminded of why I admire Michelangelo but not why he was terrifyingly human.
Read
July 9, 2019A light read more fact based than emotional -
May 25, 2020
Lettura piacevole e avvincente, per approfondire la figura di Michelangelo da un approccio divulgativo
October 13, 2020
Moderate book
December 25, 2021
Olaylar, entrikalar dolu bir sanat mücadelesi
Read
December 15, 2022Kapsamlı sanatçının derinlemesine anlatıldığı bir eser. Tavsiyedir.
March 3, 2023
Amazing!
May 28, 2023
Yazarın kitabı roman gibi yazması, diyaloglar yaratması beni açıkçası rahatsız etti. Bir biyografiden beklediğimi bulamadım maalesef.
April 3, 2025
Muy resumido pero con detalles de la vida de Miguel Ángel que no se conocían, bueno para iniciarse en su biografía
Want to Read
May 17, 2025Reprint 2008
August 16, 2026
5/5🌟 Gerek bilgi aktarımı gerekse dönem ruhunu yaşatması adına, titizlikle işlenmiş sayfalar beni oldukça mutlu etti.
June 15, 2026
Michelangelo’nun yaşamını akıcı ve ilgi çekici bir dille anlatan başarılı bir biyografi. Ancak daha önce Leonardo da Vinci üzerine yazılmış kapsamlı biyografileri okuduysanız, ister istemez onların gölgesinde kalıyor. Bunun nedeni Michelangelo’nun önemsiz bir figür olması değil; anlatının derinliği ve dönemi ele alış biçimi Leonardo biyografilerindeki etkiyi tam yakalayamıyor. Yine de Rönesans’a ilgi duyanlar için keyifle okunacak, sağlam bir başlangıç kitabı.
February 19, 2024
Kitapta Michelangelo’nun yaşam öyküsüne, arka planda ise o dönemin İtalya’sının tarihine şahit oluyoruz. Şehir d vletlerin birbiriyle savaştığı, Rönesans fikirlerinin yeni filizlendiği karışık bir dönem. Yazar iyi bir araştırmacı ve sanatsal detaylara hakim. Ama kitapta Michelangelo’nun sanatı ile ilgili detaylara daha çok yer verileceğini düşünerek kitabı okumaya başladım ama bu açıdan beni doyurmadı. Daha sanat tarihi odaklı bir kitap beklemiştim. Yine de ilginç detaylarla dolu , çok değerli bir kitap.
Çeviri : Kemal Atakay
Akıcı, güzel bir çeviri.
Çeviri : Kemal Atakay
Akıcı, güzel bir çeviri.
June 21, 2015
Para quien nunca supo nada de la vida de este titán de las artes el libro resulta más que interesante y por momentos, atrapante. Sin embargo, el texto presenta ciertos problemas de redacción que de algún modo llegan a incomodar al lector. El autor mezcla la su propia opinión, sus conjeturas y conclusiones sobre la vida del artista con citas textuales de documentos fidedignos o con escenarios “novelados” de la misma manera que mezcla la cronología de ciertos eventos. Avanza en el texto para retrotraerse a un escenario anterior y retomar sin previo aviso el tema que previamente estaba tratando (tenemos que agradecer que al final del libro haya una lista cronológica de los sucesos más importantes que acontecen, año a año, desde el nacimiento hasta la muerte del escultor). Pero este no es el único defecto que tiene el libro. El problema principal es...full review at https://sjyblog.wordpress.com/2015/07...
January 11, 2017
Though the book gives a solid account of Michelangelo's life, I would call it a "light read". In some cases, this is a positive thing, though when it comes to biographies, I expect a bit more. By "light read", I mean that the book seemed to shift between biography and (art) history novel. I still can't make up my mind on what it actually is.
The historical details of the book, though quite accurate, seem to drag on in some places (not in terms of longevity, but in terms of writing style). However, I would say that the emotional descriptions of Michelangelo's working process make up for this. These were actually my favorite parts of the book because they acquaint the reader with his works (or the particular work in question in that moment) and Michelangelo's mindset, which is extremely important to understand if you want to understand the work.
The historical details of the book, though quite accurate, seem to drag on in some places (not in terms of longevity, but in terms of writing style). However, I would say that the emotional descriptions of Michelangelo's working process make up for this. These were actually my favorite parts of the book because they acquaint the reader with his works (or the particular work in question in that moment) and Michelangelo's mindset, which is extremely important to understand if you want to understand the work.
July 22, 2012
I will generously describe this book as being painfully bad. I don't know if it was an issue of translation or if it is just as awful in Italian. Having said this, I generally do not like biographies, because the writers tend to be reverential and unnecessarily flowery.
I read 80% of the book, skipped to Michaelangelo's death, didn't get any satisfaction there, and read the timeline.
So I'm done.
I read 80% of the book, skipped to Michaelangelo's death, didn't get any satisfaction there, and read the timeline.
So I'm done.
March 27, 2016
Poorly written Biography. Perhaps the English translation. Roughly 2 page description of masterpieces like David and Pieta, filled with Super adjectives but not much details on the techniques. When I bought this book at the Musuem Book shop at Academia del Galleria, I wanted to know about everything that went into making David and expected a Biography would have it all.
October 17, 2009
Bruno Nardini provides the reader with a condensed, well documented account of the fascinating life of Michelangelo.
January 25, 2013
I read this book on my semester at sea trip, right before we arrived in Italy. I was in awe of Michelangelo. His works of art are amazing and really indescribable in words.
May 22, 2013
I bought it in Italy after watching the David. A gentle introduction to the life of Michaelangelo
July 2, 2013
Interesting information about Michelangelo's life and times. Not a very happy or nice guy. Difficult to read. Either poorly written to begin with (in Italian) or poorly translated.b
April 23, 2016
A good simple overview of his life -- I really appreciated the chapter tying him to the Florentine Renaissance (especially the philosophers). Not many other books do that.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews




















